The Titans have completed in-person interviews with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, the team announced Monday.
Nagy previously interviewed virtually with team officials.
It was Saleh’s first interview with the Titans. Saleh was initially scheduled for a virtual interview on Sunday, but the 49ers’ loss to the Seahawks on Saturday allowed him to interview in person.
The Titans interviewed 15 candidates during the first two weeks of their coaching search.
Nagy has spent the past nine seasons with the Chiefs. He was promoted to offensive coordinator after rejoining Kansas City in 2022 as senior offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach.
Nagy previously spent four years as head coach for the Bears (2018-21).
Saleh has spent 21 seasons in the NFL and is in his second stint as defensive coordinator with the 49ers. Before returning to San Francisco, Saleh spent three-plus seasons (2021-24) as head coach of the Jets, where he was 20-36.
His first stint as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator was from 2017-20.
The Chiefs are set to make a change at offensive coordinator, but it won’t be a major shock to the system in Kansas City.
According to multiple reports, they plan to hire Eric Bieniemy as their offensive coordinator. Word of their interest in interviewing Bieniemy, who is currently the Bears’ running backs coach, first surfaced on Monday morning.
Bieniemy was the team’s offensive coordinator from 2018-2022 and left to call the offensive plays for the Commanders in 2023. Matt Nagy began his second stint in the role when Bieniemy left the team, but has an expiring contract and is a finalist for the Titans’ head coaching job.
Bieniemy’s stint in Washington ended after one season and he spent 2024 at UCLA before joining the Bears’ staff.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the Chiefs are also hiring Chad O’Shea as their wide receivers coach. O’Shea was on the Browns’ staff since 2020 and replaces the fired Connor Embree.
The Chiefs may be bringing a familiar face back to Andy Reid’s coaching staff.
According to multiple reports, they have requested permission to interview Bears running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator in Kansas City from 2018-2022 and those reports say the request is for an interview for that role.
Matt Nagy closed out the 2025 season as the offensive coordinator with the Chiefs, but he has an expiring contract and is seen as a top candidate to land the head coaching job in Tennessee.
Bieniemy got a number of head coaching interviews during his time with the Chiefs, but wound up making a lateral move to be the coordinator for the Commanders. While that afforded him an opportunity to call plays, the Commanders went 4-13 and he was dismissed along with head coach Ron Rivera at the end of the season. He spent a year at UCLA before joining the Bears’ staff for the 2025 campaign.
When the Chiefs missed the playoffs this season, there was a lot of talk about the chance for a changing of the guard in the AFC.
There’s still more to play out in the conference, but meeting the new boss is looking a lot like the old boss in one respect. The Patriots are back in the title game after beating the Texans on Sunday and that continues a long run that’s seen either New England or Kansas City involved in deciding the AFC champion.
Next Sunday’s game in Denver will be the 15th straight conference title game involving either the Patriots or the Chiefs. The Patriots made it after the 2011-2018 seasons and beat the Chiefs in their final appearance. Patrick Mahomes would lead the Chiefs to a win the next year and they would make six more appearances before things went south for them this year.
Those Patriot teams were quarterbacked by Tom Brady rather than Drake Maye, but the 2024 first-round pick’s rapid rise to MVP contention has raised hopes that another prolonged run of success is already underway in New England.
49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and the Titans have made a date for Monday.
According to multiple reports, the Titans will have an in-person interview with Saleh. He had been scheduled for a virtual interview with the team on Sunday.
Saleh’s season ended with Saturday night’s loss to the Seahawks. The former Jets head coach returned for his second stint running the 49ers defense this season.
The Titans are also set to hold second, in-person interviews with Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley over the next couple of days. The move to meet Saleh face-to-face and the timing of the other interviews would suggest that the Titans are closing in on their choice for a head coach.
